Search - Children of Bodom :: Hatebreeder

Robin S. (OutOfBody) from WYNNEWOOD, PA
Reviewed on 3/5/2008...

Definitely one of COB's best albums. Unlike the more recent ones, "Are You Dead Yet?" and (somewhat) "Hate Crew Deathroll", their classical influence is extremely prominent on this album, and their sound is both intense and melodic.

Awsome

Charles | San Diego, CA | 09/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is my favorite Children of Bodom CD! It's probably their most neo-classical CD, and i just love that! I think this CD also sounds kind of black-metalish though, but doesnt really have an extreme black metal vibe to it as it sounds more power and melodic death metalish. But to put in general this is a must have for neo-classical metal fans."

The reigning kings of Finnish Metal.

Squash 'N' Squeak | The Darkest Regions of Outer Space | 01/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Children of Bodom's second album, Hatebreeder, is, by far, one of the best metal albums out there, and their best CD, second only to Follow The Reaper in my opinion. Back in 1999, while most of the world was creaming itself over manufactured boybands like N*sync and the Backstreet Boys, there were really only a few albums that were released that year that deserved so much recongnition. Hatebreeder is definitely one of them, with complex guitar solos, fun lyrics, rumbling bass, pounding doulbe bass, and amazing keyboard melodies.



This album is more neoclassical than the albums after this (they still retain the flavor, but this one has it the most front and center), and the result is truly ear candy that would impress anyone. The lyrics are mostly about death and a few are about personal issues (like Towards Dead End). The musicianship is top-notch, and it's amazing to think about how young these guys were and how talented they were back then. Alexi's black metal scream sounds more polished on this album than Follow The Reaper, which was always my one issue with that album. Here, it sounds perfect.



Every song here is worth listening to. Warheart has a thumping bass intro with a very catchy chorus, as does Silent Night Bodom Night. SNBN has one of the best dual guitar-keyboard solos I've ever heard. Towards Dead End has a lot of riffs that sound like they belong in a Vivaldi or Bach song, which gives it a very unique atmosphere. The band's self-titled track, COB, has lots of catchy melodies and great solos as well. The harpsichord interlude in the middle is my personal favorite part. And then, there's Downfall, which has lots of amazing riffs, too, as well as another incredible dual guitar-keyboard solo, and a great classical guitar-keyboard arpeggio interlud, which kind of reminds of Dream Theater's Erotomania. All of the songs are great. Those are just my favorites.



If you're looking for a good example of Scandinavian metal, Hatebreeder is not a bad choice at all. It's a gem that will shine throughout metal history, and unofortunately, probably remai in obscurity when it comes to most of the world. If you like this band, I also recommend Skyfire, Eternal Tears of Sorrow, Kalmah, and Norther, which play similar styles as COB."